Impressive Rummel squad eliminates MCHS bowlers in semis

Mon, 2012-04-16 14:52

By: GEOFFREY STOUTEBATON ROUGE — Archbishop Rummel’s bottom three bowlers were too much for the Morgan City Tigers to overcome in state semifinal boys bowling action on Saturday at All-Star Lanes as the Tigers fell to the Raiders, 19-8.

While Morgan City’s top three bowlers — Chandler Delaune, Taylor Brocato and Ryan Veillion managed to all win at least one of three games against their counterpart from Rummel, the Rummel bottom three of Shane Brown, Chris Costanza and Jonathen Hart took two out of three games against their MCHS counterparts. The only Morgan City victory was earned by Lang Bui, who earned a point for MCHS with a 202-123 victory against Costanza in the third match.

Rummel’s bottom three averaged per-game scores of just more than 220 in the match.

While their averages dipped under 200 in the final game of the match, which Morgan City (14-2) won, 5-3, the Rummel bottom three each put up scores of more than 200 in the first two matches, led by a 252 by Tim Hart in the first game, which Rummel (16-0) won 7-1.

Morgan City’s lone point in that game were scored by Brocato, who nipped Rummel’s Charles Noble, 235-234.

After one game, Rummel held a 1,319-1,080 advantage.

“They were every bit as good as what their averages showed,” MCHS head bowling coach Kenny Keton said of Rummel. “They by far are the No. 1 team in the state as far as I’m concerned. They bowled phenomenal today. There was nothing we could do (about it).”

In the second game, Delaune and Veillion scored wins against Rummel as Delaune defeated Brian Bodenhelmer, 199-179, and Veillion defeated Tyler LeBlanc, 195-178, but Rummel won the game, 6-2, to increase their overall score to 1,287-1,113.

In the final matchup, Morgan City was able to gain some ground as Delaune, Brocato and Bui each won their games. Delaune scored a 195-171 victory against Bodenhelmer, while Brocato defeated Hart, 191-159, and Bui defeated Costanza, 202-123.

However, just like they had all game long, the Rummel bottom three again dominated as they took two out of the three points with Brown defeating Austin Courtney, 166-157, and Hart defeating Brett Keton, 171-150.

In addition to Rummel firepower, K. Keton said the size of the center took the crowd out of the match, unlike in Shreveport where Morgan City’s bowlers were able to feed off the crowd.

“I think that was a big part of what we had in Shreveport because the crowd was basically right on top the lanes and the kids (would) get pumped up and the crowd got pumped up,” K. Keton said. “Here, there was such a big separation (that) you couldn’t hear the screaming and yelling and that makes a big difference.”

Despite the loss, the future looks bright for Morgan City, who was advanced to the semifinals in just its third year of varsity bowling. The squad loses one senior, Drake Leonard.

“He was with us from day one when we went from zero wins the first year to losing in regionals in the second year and then state semifinals in our third year,” Keton said.

Because they have everybody that bowled on Saturday coming back, Keton said, “Everything points to us being able to come back.”

As for Rummel, they were just getting started in their semifinal win against Morgan City. In the finals, the squad defeated St. Michael, 21-6. St. Michael, the 2011 state runner-up, advanced to the finals after knocking off defending state champion Barbe High School, 23-4, in other boys’ semifinal action.

Bodenhelmer went on to finish up in singles’ boys’ finals action with a 244 average, just behind singles’ boys champ Jesuit’s Corey Ledet, who recorded a 247 average. Noble finished third with a 217 average.